The California legislature has declined to impose new restrictions on the amounts that wildfire victims and others can seek from utilities whose equipment caused blazes, according to ABC7 Los Angeles.
Lawmakers considered but ultimately set aside a measure that would have shielded the state's investor-owned utilities, including Southern California Edison, from larger financial exposure in such incidents.
Instead, legislators revised Senate Bill 492 to remove any damage caps and to ensure that local governments and private businesses retain their ability to pursue full recovery of losses from utilities responsible for starting fires.
Joy Chen, executive director of Every Fire Survivor's Network, said: "It's important that we hold these companies accountable so all our fellow Californians can be safer. So we are thrilled that our legislature stood up for utility accountability and stood up for the real fire survivors."
Consumer Watchdog noted that the revised bill, sponsored by Senator Josh Becker and Assemblymember Cottie Petrie-Norris, drops earlier provisions that would have restricted survivors' legal options and instead creates a Fast Pay program to speed compensation while allowing lawsuits and evidence gathering to continue.
Governor Gavin Newsom described the compromise as real progress yet called on the legislature to address the longer-term stability of electric rates and the Wildfire Fund.
This report is based on coverage by ABC7 Los Angeles: https://abc7.com/post/california-lawmakers-side-with-wildfire-victims-reject-bill-to-limit-utility-payouts-for-fires/19764402/